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Manitoba Junior Hockey League
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of ten Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The league champion is awarded the Turnbull Cup and represents Manitoba at the Western Canada Cup Championship. The winner and the runner-up of that tournament both represent Western Canada at the RBC Cup for the National Championship. The league started for the 1917-18 season as the Winnipeg and District Junior Hockey League (WJrHL), changing to the current name in 1933. Currently, the MJHL consists of 11 teams in 2 divisions, 5 in the Addison Division and 6 in the Sher-Wood Division. Each team plays 60 games during the regular season (29 at home, 29 away, & 2 Showcase games). Showcase Weekend is held in early October at the MTS Iceplex, in front of scouts from all over North America. The top 4 teams in each division qualify for league playoffs. The playoffs are an elimination tournament consisting of 3 rounds of best-of-seven series. The first 2 rounds determine which team from each division will advance to the final round. The winner of that series becomes the MJHL, Manitoba, and Turnbull Cup champions. see List of MJHL Seasons 'Teams' 'History' The Winnipeg and District Junior Hockey League became official on the evening of Wednesday, December 12, 1917. The League started with 10 teams and operated as Manitoba's only Junior A hockey league until 1931. For the 1931-32 season the WJrHL had a rival, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The two league champions would play off for the Provincial crown. The rivalry was short lived, with all the MJHL Teams joining the WJrHL for the following season. The 1932-33 season proved to be a tough one for the WJrHL, dealing with the constant rumors of the league collapsing, nobody expected the one league system to last. However, somehow the Teams banded together to remain one league and one of the changes made was the League’s name. The League was renamed the Manitoba Junior Hockey League for the 1933-34 season. Over the years, more than 200 MJHL players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, and 14 of those MJHL graduates have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame players category: Andy Bathgate, Ed Belfour, Turk Broda, Art Coulter, Bobby Clarke, Charlie Gardiner, Bryan Hextall, Tom Johnson, Bill Mosienko, Harry Oliver, Babe Pratt, Chuck Rayner, Terry Sawchuk, and Jack Stewart. see MJHL History 'Champions' 'Manitoba Playoffs' Since 1993, the MHJL crowns a Manitoba Champion. Prior to then, the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association could instruct the MJHL Champs to enter provincial playoffs. Such happened from 1980 thru 1985, when MJHL Champs met the winner of the NorMan Junior Hockey League. In 1968 it was the Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League, in 1932 it was it's name sake the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, and a few independent teams over the years. The MJHL and it’s predecessor the Winnipeg and District Junior Hockey League have won every Turnbull Cup except one (1918 to present), symbolic of Manitoba Junior A Hockey Champions. see Turnbull Cup 'Canada Playoffs' Present Starting in 2013, the MJHL Champion joins the champion from each of the other three western leagues plus a host team in a 13-game tournament to crown a Western Canada Champion. The winner is awarded the Western Canada Cup and along with the runner-up represent Western Canada at the RBC Cup for the National Championship. 1971 to 2012 The Turnbull Cup Champions played the winner of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (Canalta Cup) for the Anavet Cup. From 1971 to 1989, the Anavet Cup Champions advanced to the Abbott Cup against the winner of AJHL / BCHL (Doyle Cup). With the winner going on to the Centennial Cup meeting the Eastern Canada Champions for the National Junior ‘A’ title. After 1989 the Anavet Cup winner went directly to the RBC Cup (1990-95 Centennial Cup & Royal Bank Cup 1996-07) for the National Junior ‘A’ title. An Abbott Cup Champion was crowned from the results of the round robin part of this tournament until 1999, when the Cup was retired. 1919 to 1970 Prior to 1971, the Turnbull Cup Champions competed for the Abbott Cup (Western Canadian Junior Championship), and then the Memorial Cup for the National Junior Championship. During this 53 year era (1918-1970), MJHL Teams won 18 Abbott Cups, and 11 Memorial Cups 'Man/Sask Junior A Championships' Man/Sask Championship (1971 to 1973) Anavet Cup (1974 to 2012) 'Western Canada Junior Hockey Championships' Abbott Cup (1919 to 1932) Western Canada Junior Championships Abbott Cup (1933 to 1999) Western Canada Junior A Championships 'National Junior Hockey Championships' Memorial Cup (1919-1932) Canada Junior Championships Memorial Cup (1933-1970) Canada Junior A Championships Centennial Cup (1971 to 1995) Canada Junior A Championships Awards *Player of the Week *Players of the Month *Peak Performer of the Month *Mike Ridley Trophy Scoring Champion *Steve "Boomer" Hawrysh Memorial Award MVP *MJHL Top Goaltender Award *Brian Kozak Memorial Award Top Defenseman *Vince Leah Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year *Lorne Lyndon Memorial Trophy Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship *Murray "Muzz" McPherson Memorial Award Coach of the Year *MJHL Playoff MVP Award Former Awards *Charlie Gardiner Memorial Trophy *Jack Brown Memorial Trophy All-Stars *MJHL Prospects Games *MJHL All-Star Games *MJHL All-Star Teams *MJHL Rookie All-Star Teams League Leaders *MJHL Regular Season Goal Scoring Leader *MJHL Regular Season Assist Leader *MJHL Regular Season Goals Against Average Leader *MJHL Playoff Scoring Leader CJHL Awards & Achievements *CJHL World Junior A Challenge selections *CJHL Prospects Game selections *CJHL Player of the Year Award *CJHL Award Winners *Anavet Cup Awards Winners *Royal Bank Cup Awards Winners Scholarships *Ken "Friar" Nicolson Award *Ed Belfour High Performance Award *Frank McKinnon Award *Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba Scholarship *RBC Financial Group MJHL Scholarship *MJHL Scholarship Fund Records *MJHL Single Game Records *MJHL Single Season Records *MJHL Coaching Records *MJHL Top 10 Regular Season Point Scorers *MJHL Top 10 Regular Season Goal Scorers *MJHL Top 10 Regular Season Assists Scorers *MJHL Career Leaders Alumni *Team Canada Members *NHL Players *NHL Coaches *NHL General Managers *NHL Officials *NHL Draft Picks *MJHLers drafted by the WHA *MJHLers who played in the WHA *MJHLers who coached in the WHA Timeline of Teams Category:Manitoba Junior Hockey League Category:Ice hockey leagues